Lack of handles

lincolnblue

I recently bought a Fender Blues Deluxe which is a fairly heavy amp. It, like others have a handle on the top.

I used to have a Laney amp which had a handle at the top but also a handle at each side which meant carrying it was so much easier.

Just wonder why the likes of gender etc don't include side carry handles

bazxkr

I agree, side handles make great sense....I have a Fender twin weighing 94 lbs and just a handle on the top. Has castors too to make life easy but would be easier to pull it long with a side handle than the top one. Guess the designers just worry about them sounding and looking good & don't care about the poor buggers that have to move them around.

Could get a couple and fit them but then they would obstructs the leg stands on a twin

ICBM

That's why I found my 98lb Mesa Trem-o-verb easier to move around than a Twin which is up to 10-20lb lighter depending on the version - the Mesa has excellent end handles, good wheels, is well-balanced and has smooth edges that don't dig into you unlike the Twin's knobs.

The simplest solution is a flightcase. Although it increases the overall weight, which then becomes more of a problem if you have to get it into a car on your own, it makes it far easier to move if there's more than one person. And the case then becomes the perfect amp stand on stage too.

Octafish

Same problem with the Deville, not as heavy as a Twin, but still a bulky 2x12. Fender employees must laugh when screwing them handle on...

RiftAmps

lincolnblue said:

Just wonder why the likes of Fender etc don't include side carry handles

Because when you’re doing a manufacturing run of 2000+ units the extra £10 or so on handles/labour per amp comes straight off your bottom line. £20,000 is a lot of money to save and profit is always king.

I hate that it’s like that.

lincolnblue

I have a amp cover so just end up putting that on and picking the amp up in both arms, forgetting the handle. 

JayGee

Similarly I question the intelligence of people who design a heavy amp[1] with the CoG way, way, way up one end (because there are a pair of Bloody Great Transformers there) and the put the singular handle in the middle. Either give some thought to where the CoG is going to end up when laying the damned thing out (and no, I don’t believe for one moment that the mains transformer and the output transformer absolutely have to be right next to each other) or offset the handle.

Also if handle provision is solely driven by economics how come Laney can afford to build a pair of handles into the ends of the (very affordable as such things go) Ironheart amps?

[1] Blackstar Series One.

ecc83

I totally agree about the Series Ones. The 200 especially was just about my limit to get off floor to bench. Yes, handle should have been offset for balance. Ok, would have LOOKED odd but IMO would have been a "feature"?

The Artisan A30 combo is similarly stuck to the floor and has but one handle. That is a one expensive combo and really should have a grabber each end.

The S1 45 combo wasn't quite so bad when loaded with Neos but I understand they have had to go to V30s for reasons of cost? Got bloody heavy then and again, one shifter.

Dave.

ICBM

I’m actually quite surprised that in today’s Elf ‘N Safedy world, there aren’t regulations about how heavy something can be before it must be fitted with handles in the right positions to allow/force more than one person to carry it.

ecc83

ICBM said:

I’m actually quite surprised that in today’s Elf ‘N Safedy world, there aren’t regulations about how heavy something can be before it must be fitted with handles in the right positions to allow/force more than one person to carry it.

Bloody nightmare I! I was on a H&S committee for 3 years and tried to get some help with the ever increasing TV size. You need a tech and a mate but they would not pay.

The annoying thing re combos is that side handles need not cost hardly anything, they can be slots in the side backed by off cuts of ply/MDF. Can't be see from the front and don't mess with stacking.

Dave.

ICBM

ecc83 said:

The annoying thing re combos is that side handles need not cost hardly anything, they can be slots in the side backed by off cuts of ply/MDF. Can't be see from the front and don't mess with stacking.

If they’re below the bottom of the chassis they don’t even need backing with anything! Just a simple slot with a rounded-over edge - easy to do with modern CNC routing - will work fine.

I think Hughes & Kettner did exactly that, but I might be mixing them up with someone else....

hywelg

ICBM said:

ecc83 said:

The annoying thing re combos is that side handles need not cost hardly anything, they can be slots in the side backed by off cuts of ply/MDF. Can't be see from the front and don't mess with stacking.

If they’re below the bottom of the chassis they don’t even need backing with anything! Just a simple slot with a rounded-over edge - easy to do with modern CNC routing - will work fine.

However they are very difficult to cover with tolex.  You'd need a custom insert to cover the cutout, probably cheaper to fit a handle. 

ICBM

hywelg said:

However they are very difficult to cover with tolex.  You'd need a custom insert to cover the cutout, probably cheaper to fit a handle. 

True.

Although I think it may be time to move on from tolex anyway really - there are a lot of far better, harder-wearing, easier-to-apply finishes for cabinets now that don't have a problem covering awkward-shaped cutouts.

ESBlonde

Get a flight case thats on good wheels. I know it makes the package heavier overall but:

1] you couldn't care less about banging it about through doorways.

2] It rolls about rather than being carried and only needs lifting for steps/loading.

3] you can have as many handles as you like wherever you like.

4] It's somewhere to put your stickers when the guitar case is full.

5] It becomes your amp stand wherever you are.

6] You don't worry about 'people helping' with your amp.

7] Your amp retains more resale value because it still looks nice and clean.

8] Buying and selling used flight cases isn't that big of a cost overall.